A NORTH Yorkshire couple have celebrated a remarkable milestone – marking their 65th wedding anniversary this week.

Bruce and Betty Walker, from Romanby, near Northallerton, were married in 1950 in the parish church at South Otterington. This week (Wednesday, June 10) they celebrated 65 years together, making it their “blue sapphire” anniversary, a rare milestone that was only relatively recently attributed with a symbolic gift.

Betty, 87, moved to South Otterington from Sheffield at 13-years-old, when her family moved following the Sheffield Blitz.

There she met Bruce, 90, who came from a farming family in the Thirsk area.

Bruce is a retired police officer and worked in the local area and in Teesside, while Betty worked as a secretary in Northallerton and Teesside. She is also well-known locally for being involved with the Red Cross at the Friarage hospital.

They had two children, but sadly their eldest, Stephen, died two years ago.

Their daughter, Janet Glover, lives in Hertfordshire with her family.

Betty and Bruce have five grandchildren aged between 23 and 41 and six great grandchildren.

The couple celebrated their anniversary with a trip to a hotel in Birdsall near Skipton.